Letter of the KKE to the communist and workers’ parties of Europe

Dear Comrades,

In a few days the 3rd congress of the so-called “European Left Party” (ELP) will take place in Paris. This is being carried out on exactly the same dates (3-5 of December) as the International Meeting of Communist and Workers Parties, which will be held this year in South Africa. In this provocative and symbolic way the divisive and undermining role of the ELP against the international communist movement is clearly displayed.

As is well-known the KKE took a clear position from the beginning against the possible establishment of a “European Party”. Other parties which in the past had followed in Europe the so-called eurocommunist current and were in opposition to the USSR and the other socialist countries of Europe, played a leading role in its foundation. A series of parties which had given up any reference to communist ideals also supported its establishment, such as the SYNASPISMOS party from Greece which plays a consistent anti-communist role, as well as the DIE LINKE party from Germany. Finally a series of CPs decided to join as “observers” taking into account in each instance various factors.

Some years have passed since then and today we are of the opinion that our assessments have been confirmed, if we evaluate the activity, theses and all the experience of the ELP’s existence.

In its programmatic documents (constitution and programme) the ELP rejects anything communist, the revolutionary traditions; it is hostile to scientific socialism, class struggle and socialist revolution. In its constitution it accepts as part of the EU institutional framework that the capitalist EU is eternal, and a basic condition for its existence is its acceptance that it will not question the framework of the EU.

This is also apparent in the materials of the 3rd congress of the ELP, where through proposals such as “Concrete steps can and should be taken to free EU and national government policymaking from the grip of financial markets”, the view of a “humanized” capitalism is promoted. As alleged “radical changes”, measures are being proposed to modernize capitalism through the dead-end goal concerning “the democratization of the European Union”, the union which was formed by European capital for the more effective exploitation of the peoples of Europe and for it to prevail in its global competition with the USA and other imperialist powers.

The fact that the leading forces in the ELP, which lead this party and shape its political line, operate within the bounds of the capitalist mode of production, is apparent from their calls of support for the imperialist EU, in which they call on it to play an enhanced role in global affairs. It is also apparent from the fact that in their documents they focus on the so-called “neo-liberalism”, fostering illusions amongst the workers of Europe that there can exist another “management” policy within the framework of capitalism, which allegedly can solve the problems of the people. Yet again the dangerous role of the ELP is clear, as a vehicle to entrap forces within the framework of capitalism and as a “tail” of European social-democracy.

The “tears” which the ELP sheds in the documents of its 3rd congress in recognition of the fact that the disappearance of “existing socialism” has led to a deterioration of the life of the workers, are hypocritical when one takes into account that the forces which lead the ELP were amongst those that fought against the USSR and the other socialist countries, together with the right wing and the social-democrats, and today they still accepts and use the entire line of argument of the bourgeoisie, which ends up identifying communism with fascism. It is not by accident that in the documents of the ELP there is no mention of the unacceptable distortion of history, which the EU, the Council of Europe and the other imperialist organizations are carrying out against the history of the communist and workers’ movement in Europe.

The disagreements of the ELP with the militarization of the EU and international relations come across like the sermons of missionaries, when one considers that at the same time this party has declared its support for the more active role of the EU in the world and has accepted the Common Foreign and Security Policy. The same is true for its appeal concerning the “dissolution of NATO”, when this demand is not combined with the struggle for the disengagement of every member-state from it.

The references concerning a just solution to a series of international problems (Palestine, Cyprus, the blockade of Cuba) are extremely hypocritical when it is stated that they will be resolved, not through the anti-imperialist struggle of the peoples, but through the implementation of international and European law. What “law” is the ELP talking about? The decision of the Hague tribunal, which legitimized the NATO intervention in the Balkans and the protectorate of Kosovo, demonstrates clearly what international and European law means in reality. Another example is the decision of the European Court of Human Rights which vindicated Latvia, where the anti-fascist veteran Vasili Kononov has been persecuted and imprisoned by the government, because according to the court he acted as a “terrorist” in 1944, fighting against the Nazi hordes which had invaded his country, the USSR. Another demonstration of this is the disgusting and hostile common position of EU in relation to Cuba. It is shown by the legislative banning of the operations of CPs in a series of EU countries. It is shown by the banning of the symbols of the communist and workers movement in various EU countries. The ELP was once again silent on all these issues. It turns a blind eye and shows that it takes no account of imperialist barbarity which is demonstrated in various ways in the “law” which is prevalent today and is none other than the imperialist law of the strongest.

Comrades,

The time is ripe for illusions concerning the role which the ELP plays, to be overcome. The KKE calls on the communist and workers’ parties, which for different reasons joined as members and observers this specific “fabricated” party (which was created according to the EU’s conditions in order to serve it), to re-examine their position. The further weakening of this “left” party of the EU, the strengthening of the equal cooperation of communist and workers’ parties in Europe on the basis of Marxism-Leninism and proletarian internationalism, regardless of the conditions and boundaries which the EU places, constitutes the only hope for the regroupment of the European communist movement and is the only reliable response to the aggressiveness of European capital against the rights of the workers.

CC’s International Section of the KKE